All is well & Spring Break

So...it has been abusy week getting back into the swing of things post-spring break. Cristian must have missed school because he was ready to go every morning this week without a complaint. We did end up feeling much better by the end of last week and were able to salvage a few adventures. My Aunt and Cousins came in town for a little weekend getaway. We enjoyed the Riverwalk and Friday and Sea World on Saturday. I haven't uploaded the pictures but I will this weekend and I will update this post with all the gory details. We had a blast all weekend and ended the festivities with a surprise Birthday Breakfast on Sunday for LizzyBird. She was so cute Saturday when she said, "You know yesterday, when I was 8..." Cracked me up.

Hole in my Face

Cristian recently noticed I have a hole in my eyebrow. I had a piercing there in college and it has never fully closed up.

C: What is that? (touching my eyebrow)
Me: Oh, that is a hole.
C: Why?
Me: When I was in college I had an earring in my eyebrow.
C: Why? (giving me the "are you crazy" look)
Me: Because I was young and dumb.
C: I don't like it.
Me: I don't either, but it is there now and I can't make it go away.
C: It is ugly Momma, you should get it fixed.

Thanks kid.

Not my child

In the car on the way home:

Me: Hey Cristian, let's go eat at Cheddar's. It is Friday and I don't feel like cooking.
C: No thank you. You're a good cook Mommy, let's go home.
Me: You think I am a good cook?
C: You are a good kitchen helper Mommy.

Kitchen helper?? Since it is just the two of us, I can only assume that I am his helper as he barks orders from the living room. Stinker.

The Flu

I've been so obnoxious lately telling everyone how we made through this year with no sickness. I mean last year I had strep and Cristian had it twice...combined with a few ear infections, it was a tough year. I chalked it up to Cristian attending a new school with new kids and new germs.

So...on Saturday mom and I noticed Cristian wasn't really eating much and by Sunday he still wasn't really eating. I thought he might be going through a stage (although not eating is pretty rare him). He was acting himself so I didn't think too much of it. Late Sunday night he had a bloody nose and we quickly realized that he was burning up. His temp was a bit over 103. Cristian runs hot most of the time, but 103 is high even for him. I pulled out the acetaminophen and we started treating the fever. By 3am he was crying and his temp was over 104. I stripped him down, gave him another dose of medicine, and added a cold compress to his back. He slept until 10am, but woke up still running a fever over 103.

Off to Texas Med Clinic we went. Of course, by the time we got in to see the nurse his temp was down to 101 and he was cracking jokes. You would never have known he was sick. That kid has a habit of making me look like that mom...you know the hypochondriac mom who takes her kid to the doctor when every time he sneezes. Ha! So, they swabbed him and he tested positive for the flu. Yay. I know I am nuts, but I was actually hoping for strep. I've never had the flu and he hasn't either...I don't know what to do with the flu.

Since we caught it early they said we could get the Tamiflu, which was a relief. As long as his fever is gone by tomorrow, he can still make it on our family outing to Sea World on Saturday. In fact, bribing him with Sea World is what I am doing to get him to take that nasty Tamiflu. Ha! Whatever works. Medicine is tricky and sooo important (which his 3-year-old brain can not rationalize), so I am more than willing to bribe.

Tomorrow, while he continues to lay around and watch Nick Jr. I will be super cleaning. In addition to regular laundry, every sheet, blanket, towel, rug etc. will get washed. I have to wipe down every surface and door handle. Anything he has touched is going to get disinfected. So fun. The upside, hopefully, I won't get it. I think I'm probably just a carrier anyway. Besides last year's Strep I rarely get sick. Growing up I just assumed that I was a carrier. Ha!

So, I cancelled the professional photo session I had planned for us and have rearranged my spring break schedule to accommodate Cristian's quarantine. In the end, we will get to spend oodles of hours just hanging out and that is just fine with me. With all the health news I see on FB, I am so grateful that Cristian was diagnosed with a treatable condition.

Lighten the Mood

It has been a tough day...as all of Philip's birthdays are. Carlos picked up Cristian and we went together to the cemetery. Cristian is starting to put two and two together now and as a result he kept looking around asking where Jesus was. I'm trying not to scare him about death. My great grandmother died when I was very little and it scarred me for a long time. I cried myself to sleep scared of dying for years. Seems silly now, but I am trying very hard to make him understand that Philip was sick and he went to be with Jesus so he could be healed. I don't like to use the words death or died because they might be scary for him. I told him we were going to see Philip's stone and that me and his dad feel close to Philip when we are there and we talk to him. At the worst, Cristian might grow up thinking we are both crazy (not that I can argue with that one), but hopefully he won't grow up scared of dying. Hey, these kids don't come with a manual, I'm doing the best that I can. I really do try to think things out for him and present them in a positive way. I'll let you know in 20 years if I totally screwed him up. :-)

So, anyway, after all that Carlos took Cristian and I came home. Cristian has been having some anxiety about not sleeping in his bed, so Carlos brought Cristian home tonight instead of him staying at his house. So, after bath and as I put on his pajamas this little gem of a conversation happened...

C: What are those? (pointing to my lady humps)

Me: Those are breasts. (trying not to laugh)

C: Why are they there?

Me: Well, when a woman has a baby she feeds the baby with her breasts.

C: What is in there?

Me: Milk, baby milk.

C: Can I have some?

Me: Ummm, no. Mommies only have milk when the babies are very little. Once the babies get teeth in their mouth the milk goes away. Then the little kid eats food, like you. And milk from the jug and not baby milk from the breasts.

C: Oh, so you don't have milk in there?

Me: Not anymore because you are not a baby anymore.

C: Ok. Can I have a banana?

Seriously?? My kid cracks me up. I am so glad I got back on this blogging thing because just this week I have been able to save some great moments. We had the penis talk some time ago...you know the one where you have to let him know where and when it is appropriate to yank on that thing. But, the breasts too? I mean geesh, he is only 3...I thought I would have until 6 or 7 before these uncomfortable conversations. A.w.k.w.a.r.d. And just because I feel the need, here is an apple smile so we can end the day with a couple of giggles.

5 years

Tomorrow, March 7th, will be my Philip's 5th birthday. It is almost hard to believe that it has been that long since I held my little man. I miss him everyday. My emotions are really raw this evening and I know they will be more so tomorrow. I'm not going to go into the details...just too hard.

Here is one of my favorite pictures of my little dude. I bought this Polo Track Suit the week we found out he was a boy. I was so hell bent on him coming home, that it didn't occur to me to bring "nice" pajamas to the hospital. I was really unprepared for the whole picture taking aspect of having a sick kid. I wanted tons of pictures while he was with us...but all the ones with me in them look like this...hideous robe and standard issue hospital gown. Let's all keep in mind that I was in labor for 2 days and after 4 epidurals I had a cesarean section at 2 in the morning...hence the death warmed over look of my very pale face. Nonetheless, let's all just be mesmerized with those fat cheeks of my baby boy. 8lbs, 13 oz, 21 inches long...big & strong & stubborn. A gift from God who answered several of my prayers...not only did I get to meet my baby, but I got 32 hours and 58 glorious minutes of life with him. So many blessings. Love you sweets, miss you more than I can say. No words for how much I love you...and as Cristian has said, You are our Hero.

To the Moon

My hot rollers died this morning...so after dinner we hopped in the car and ran to Target. It was such a nice evening that we opened the roof and enjoyed looking at the moon on the way.

C: We're going to the mooooooon!!!!
Me: Ha! I wouldn't even know how to get to the Moon.
C: Mommy, you just have to go past the Milky Way, through the Space Rocks and then you get to the Moon.
Me: Smarty pants.

Growing Up

The other night we went to bed and while I tried to fall asleep, Cristian talked himself to sleep.


"Mommy, I don't want to grow-up. Because I don't know everything so I can't grow-up. I want to stay small until I know everything."


Oh, from the mouth of babes. Wouldn't being a grown-up be easier if we knew everything?? Genius, that kid.

Calling Jesus

Cristian knows that Philip is in Heaven with Jesus. Although he is still very young and very literal, I think it is important that we use the appropriate lingo with him. But, sometimes he says the cutest things and I don't always know what to say in return. This conversation took place a while back:

C: Mommy, my brother Philip is in Heaven with Jesus.
Me: Yep, that's right buddy.
C: Can you call them so they can come to our house and see us?
Me: Hmmm...I don't think they have phones in Heaven baby.

Our hero

This month is Trisomy Awareness month. The 13th of the month is particularly special as it is the day we celebrate our wonderful Trisomy 13 family. It is also super special that Philip's birthday is this month. So amazing to me that he would have been 5 this week. How fast the time has pasted and yet, I still feel like just yesterday I was kissing his chubby cheeks.


This past Saturday, Cristian and I were laying down (I was trying to get a nap out of him because I needed one too). As we chatted I mentioned that this week is Philip's birthday. In response Cristian said, "Mommy, I wish he was here with us because he is my hero." It took all I had to not burst into tears.

Horse Poop

As we drove home the other day Cristian decided to school me on all things horse poop. It went something like this:

C: "Mommy, you know that horses poop on the ground just like dogs."
Me: "That's right baby, all animals poop."
C: "Yeah, they can poop in a bag too, a Poop Bag."
Me: "Yep. They have to wear the poop bag when they walk on the street so they don't poop on the road."
C: "Oh, so we don't get the poop on the tires, right Mommy?"
Me: "Right buddy."

I have no idea where these conversations come from. That kid cracks me up.

Rodeo San Antonio!

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Rodeo in San Antonio. Mom was with her friends that day, so it was just the two of us. That was really the first time I have taken Cristian somewhere by myself. Obviously, we go shopping and whatnot alone...but this was the first 'event' that we attended alone. It was really run and he was super well behaved. We had such a good day.

He had to get a picture in front of this 'monster tire'.

Cristian took this one all by himself...he lines it up and pushed the button. Love it! Did you know I'm Special? I am.

Love the carousel. Rode it twice.

This was the second time...I had been holding his leg, for obvious reason (see that crazy metal rigging in the middle...I didn't want him to slip). This second time he told me to stop holding him because he wasn't a baby anymore. O.k...so I took pictures instead...while facing backwards, but spinning forward. And yes, my tummy paid the price for this cute pic, but it was all worth it.

Our favorite part of the Rodeo: the swine races! Love those little piggies racing for an oreo.

We had a great day. We saw lots of animals and people and had some VanDeWalle tacos. Yum! I did give in and bought C. a rubber band gun. It isn't as bad as it sounds...it doesn't stretch the bands enough to hurt when you shoot (it you even accidentally shoot someone), but it is good for target practice. To be honest, I think I have played with it more that C. Ha!